Truss Air Manifold Assembly for Underground Disaster Shelters

ABSTRACT

An air manifold assembly for underground shelters which is capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions. The air manifold assembly includes a ventilation pipe, a tank-head-shaped dome, an annular plate, and a plurality of holes. A top end of the ventilation pipe is concentrically positioned within the annular plate. The annular plate is laterally connected about the ventilation pipe and joins the ventilation pipe to the tank-head-shaped dome. The tank-head-shaped dome protects and prevents the clogging and damage of the ventilation pipe. The tank-head-shaped dome is positioned adjacent to the top end of the ventilation pipe and is perimetrically connected to the annular plate. The plurality of holes exposes the ventilation pipe to the external atmosphere. The plurality of holes is radially distributed about the annular plate with each hole normally traversing through the annular plate. Opposite the tank-head-shaped dome, the ventilation pipe is connected to the underground shelter.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/460,286 filed on Feb. 17, 2017.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus in the field of underground disaster shelters. More specifically, the present invention is a truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters which is capable of withstanding high winds, H20 truck axle loads, and impacts from loose debris. The name Truss comes from the shape of a truss screw head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Underground shelters need a method of intaking fresh air and exhaust spent air from the underground shelter. The conventional solution is a gooseneck air duct with a cap. This design is vulnerable to flying debris, which can bend or shear the air pipe of the duct off at the ground level, closing the air connection for the underground shelter. As a result, the air manifold at ground level represents the most vulnerable part of an underground shelter. The air manifold is also subject to vehicles such as farm tractors or trucks running over it and is also vulnerable to intruder assaults that aim to cut off the air supply to people within the underground shelter, thus forcing them out of the underground shelter. Negative pressure from a nuclear blast or from ground zero of an F5 tornado can also suck air manifolds out of the ground, severing the connection of fresh air to the people within the underground shelter.

The present invention has significant and unobvious improvements over all of the previous designs and conventional solutions. The present invention is aerodynamically smooth to resist damage from heavy flying debris with an angle of incidence of less than 15 degrees. Under section 305.2.1 of the ICC 500 code for commercial tornado shelters, this type of air manifold is below the 30-degree threshold angle of incidence and therefore considered a horizontal surface and is exempt from testing from flying missile debris. There is just not enough area exposed and not a high enough angle of incidence to result in any significant damage to interfere with its intended function. The present invention looks to introduce an apparatus in the field of underground disaster shelters with pre-assembled structures designed to provide life support in extremely high winds, vehicle axles loads as H20 loading which is a 32,000 pound axle load or a 16,000 pound wheel load, with flying debris.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a broken-out sectional cut of the present invention in a partially exploded view.

FIG. 3 is a side-view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional cut view of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus in the field of underground disaster shelters. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus in the field of underground disaster shelters with pre-assembled structures designed to provide life support in extremely high winds with flying debris.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the present invention comprises a ventilation pipe 1, a tank-head-shaped dome 7, an annular plate 10, a plurality of holes 11, and a plurality of filters 15. The ventilation pipe 1 is an elongated tubular structure puts the internal space of an underground disaster shelter 16 in fluid communication with the external environment above the ground. Resultantly, this provides the underground disaster shelter 16 with a means of intaking fresh air and exhausting spent air. The tank-head-shaped dome 7 covers and protects a top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1, wherein the top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1 traverses through the ground and is exposed to external environmental aspects. The tank-head-shaped dome 7 is the top apex portion of a dome with a low profile. Similar to traditional designs, the tank-head-shaped dome 7 provides an initial barrier to the ventilation pipe 1 to protect the ventilation pipe 1 and prevent debris, large clumps of dirt, and other environmental factors from clogging up or obstructing the ventilation pipe 1. The tank-head-shaped dome 7 is positioned adjacent to the top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1 and is connected to the ventilation pipe 1 by the annular plate 10. More specifically, the annular plate 10 is a disk-shaped structural element which connects and supports the tank-head-shaped dome 7 to the ventilation pipe 1. Referring to FIG. 2, a top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1 is concentrically positioned within the annular plate 10. For this, a central hole of the annular plate 10 is sized to the outer diameter of the ventilation pipe 1. Additionally, the annular plate 10 is laterally connected about the ventilation pipe 1. The tank-head-shaped dome 7 is positioned adjacent to the top end of the ventilations pipe with the ventilation pipe 1 being positioned within a concave portion 8 of the tank-head-shaped dome 7. The tank-head-shaped dome 7 is perimetrically connected to the annular plate 10. Resultantly, the tank-head-shaped dome 7 provides all around protection for the ventilation pipe 1. Additionally, this configuration positions the top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1 just shy, about one inch short, of reaching a bottom surface of the tank-head-shaped dome 7 to allow air entering the ventilation pipe 1 to have a torturous path.

The plurality of holes 11 exposes the ventilation pipe 1 to the external environment around the tank-head-shaped dome 7. The plurality of holes 11 is radially distributed about the annular plate 10 with each of the plurality of holes 11 normally traversing through the annular plate 10. In one embodiment, the present invention further comprises a plurality of filters 15 which filter the air entering the ventilation pipe 1 through the plurality of holes 11. More specifically, each of the plurality of filters 15 is an insect screen which prevents insects and debris from entering the ventilation pipe 1. Although, in alternative embodiments, other types of filters may be used for each of the plurality of filters 15 to improve the air quality entering the ventilation pipe 1. Each of the plurality of filters 15 is sized complimentary to the each of the plurality of holes 11. More specifically, the plurality of filters 15 is radially distributed about the annular plate 10. Additionally, each of the plurality of filters 15 is connected to the annular plate 10 within a corresponding hole from the plurality of holes 11.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the present invention further comprises an internal tube 12 to prevent any type of flammable fluids from being pumped into the ventilation pipe 1 and ignited to force the residents out of the underground disaster shelter 16. In other words, the internal tube 12 creates a barrier directly around the top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1. The internal tube 12 is sized with an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the ventilation pipe 1. The internal tube 12 is positioned within the concave portion 8 of the tank-head-shaped dome 7 with the top end 2 of the ventilation pipe 1 concentrically traversing into the internal tube 12. Resultantly, the ventilation pipe 1 and the internal tube 12 overlap each other, thus creating a barrier. The internal tube 12 is supported in this position by the tank-head-shaped dome 7. More specifically, the tank-head-shaped dome 7 is terminally connected to the internal tube 12, opposite the ventilation pipe 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the tank-head-shaped dome 7 comprises an annular sidewall 9 and the concave portion 8. The annular sidewall 9 is sized to the outer diameter of the annular plate 10 and is used to offset the curved dome portion from the annular plate 10. More specifically, the annular sidewall 9 is concentrically positioned within the annular plate 10 and is adjacently connected to the annular plate 10. The concave portion 8 serves as a rigid structure that protects the ventilation pipe 1. The concave portion 8 is positioned adjacent to the annular sidewall 9, opposite the annular plate 10. Additionally, the concave portion 8 is perimetrically connected to the annular sidewall 9. The concave portion 8 reduces the number of the stress point within the tank-head-shaped dome 7, thus allowing the tank-head-shaped dome 7 to withstand high amounts of pressure such as a vehicle driving over the tank-head-shaped dome 7. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an angle of incidence 19 for the tank-head-shaped dome 7 is less than 15 degrees. Compared to standard regulations for commercial tornado shelters, this type of air manifold is below the 30-degree threshold angle of incidence 19 and therefore considered a horizontal surface and is exempt from testing from flying missile debris. There is just not enough area exposed and not a high enough angle of incidence 19 to result in any significant damage.

Referring to FIG. 4, the ventilation pipe 1 preferably comprises a top tubular portion 4, a middle tubular portion 5, and a bottom tubular portion 6. The top tubular portion 4, the middle tubular portion 5, and the bottom tubular portion 6 each are an elongated tube with equal diameters. The top tubular portion 4 is positioned adjacent to the tank-head-shaped dome 7 and is positioned at ground level. Additionally, the top tubular portion 4 is terminally connected to the middle tubular portion 5. The middle tubular portion 5 traverses through the ground and covers the vertical distance between the ground and the underground disaster shelter 16. In order to reduce the dosage of rems that can pass through the ventilation pipe 1, the top tubular portion 4 is positioned at a first obtuse angle 14 relative to the middle tubular portion 5. The bottom tubular portion 6 connects the ventilation pipe 1 to the underground disaster shelter 16 and as such is terminally connected to the middle tubular portion 5, opposite the top tubular portion 4. For additional reduction of rems, the bottom tubular portion 6 is also angled relative to the middle tubular portion 5. For this, the top tubular portion 4 and the bottom tubular portion 6 are oriented parallel to each other. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first obtuse angle 14 is 135 degrees. Furthermore, for the air to flow through the ventilation pipe 1, the top tubular portion 4, the middle tubular portion 5, and the bottom tubular portion 6 are in fluid communication with each other.

Referring to FIG. 4, the present invention is designed to be utilized to provide air access to the underground disaster shelter 16. To attach and mount to the underground disaster shelter 16, the present invention further comprises a flexible seismic joint 17 and an annular flange 18. The flexible seismic joint 17 connects the ventilation pipe 1 to the underground disaster shelter 16 and allows the present invention to laterally translate relative to the underground disaster shelter 16 as much as 2 inches. This is necessary for maintaining structural integrity during rolling ground motion from severe ground shocks. The annular flange 18 is a lateral lip that is connected to a bottom end 3 of the ventilation pipe 1 and attaches the ventilation pipe 1 to the flexible seismic joint 17. More specifically, the annular flange 18 is laterally connected about the bottom end 3 of the ventilation pipe 1. The flexible seismic joint 17 is concentrically connected to the bottom end 3 of the ventilation pipe 1 by the annular flange 18. The underground disaster shelter 16 is adjacently connected to the flexible seismic joint 17, opposite to the ventilation pipe 1. For air to flow to the underground disaster shelter 16, the ventilation pipe 1, the flexible seismic joint 17, and the underground disaster shelter 16 are in fluid communication with each other. In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the ventilation pipe 1 may be mounted to the underground disaster shelter 16 through alternative methods and mechanisms.

Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention may also comprise an annular gravity dish 13. The annular gravity dish 13 counteracts upward buoyancy forces (62.4 lbs/ft³) that may be created by displaced water and −5 psi force on the convex dome 7 from a blast or tornado. Without the annular gravity dish 13, the present invention would experience a negative pressure that would stretch the flexible seismic joint 17 and eventually will cause failure in the flexible seismic joint 17, releasing the ventilation pipe 1 and possibly causing vertical translation of the present invention away from the underground disaster shelter 16. The annular gravity dish 13 is a dome-shaped structure with a central hole. It is preferred that the annular gravity dish 13 is larger than the tank-head-shaped dome 7 to ensure enough counter hydrostatic pressure (70 lbs/ft³ of submerged earth) is created to counter the hydrostatic pressure or buoyancy on the tank-head-shaped dome 7 assembly by a factor of 1.2. The annular gravity dish 13 is positioned adjacent to the bottom end 3 of the ventilation pipe 1. Additionally, the ventilation pipe 1 concentrically traverses through the annular gravity dish 13 and is oriented towards the tank-head-shaped dome 7. Furthermore, the annular gravity dish 13 is laterally connected about the ventilation pipe 1.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters comprises: a ventilation pipe; a tank-head-shaped dome; an annular plate; a plurality of holes; a top end of the ventilation pipe being concentrically positioned within the annular plate; the annular plate being laterally connected about the ventilation pipe; the tank-head-shaped dome being positioned adjacent to the top end of the ventilation pipe; the ventilation pipe being positioned within a concave portion of the tank-head-shaped dome; the tank-head-shaped dome being perimetrically connected to the annular plate; the plurality of holes being radially distributed about the annular plate; and each of the plurality of holes normally traversing through the annular plate.
 2. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1 comprises: an internal tube; the internal tube being positioned within the concave portion of the tank-head-shaped dome; the top end of the ventilation pipe concentrically traversing into the internal tube; and the tank-head-shaped dome being terminally connected to the internal tube, opposite the ventilation pipe.
 3. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1 comprises: an annular gravity dish; the annular gravity dish being positioned adjacent to a bottom end of the ventilation pipe; the ventilation pipe concentrically traversing through annular gravity dish; the annular gravity dish being oriented towards the tank-head-shaped dome; and the annular gravity dish being laterally connected about the ventilation pipe.
 4. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the ventilation pipe comprises a top tubular portion, a middle tubular portion, and a bottom tubular portion; the top tubular portion being terminally connected to the middle tubular portion; the bottom tubular portion being terminally connected to the middle tubular portion, opposite the top tubular portion; the top tubular portion being positioned at a first obtuse angle relative to the middle tubular portion; the top tubular portion and the bottom tubular portion being oriented parallel to each other; the top tubular portion, the middle tubular portion, and the bottom tubular portion being in fluid communication with each other; and the top tubular portion being positioned adjacent to the tank-head-shaped dome.
 5. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first obtuse angle is 135 degrees.
 6. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a plurality of filters; the plurality of filters being radially distributed about the annular plate; and each of the plurality of filters being connected to the annular plate within a corresponding hole from the plurality of holes.
 7. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1 comprises: an underground disaster shelter; a flexible seismic joint; an annular flange; the annular flange being laterally connected about a bottom end of the ventilation pipe; the flexible seismic joint being concentrically connected to a bottom end of the ventilation pipe by the annular flange; the underground disaster shelter being adjacently connected to the flexible seismic joint, opposite the ventilation pipe; and the ventilation pipe, the flexible seismic joint, and the underground disaster shelter being in fluid communication with each other.
 8. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1, wherein an angle of incidence for the tank-head-shaped dome being less than 15 degrees.
 9. The truss air manifold assembly for underground disaster shelters as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the tank-head-shaped dome comprises an annular sidewall and the concave portion; the annular sidewall being concentrically positioned with the annular plate; the annular sidewall being adjacently connected to the annular plate; the concave portion being positioned adjacent to the annular sidewall, opposite the annular plate; and the concave portion being perimetrically connected to the annular sidewall. 